What would motivate pilots to fly
long distances aboard ski-equipped ultralights in the middle of the winter
to a riverside log cabin? Why would aficionados drive long distances to
that same log cabin? How about: the past fly-ins at this cabin, actually
a log castle, have attracted 36 Challengers on skis and over 200 people!

So is that a superb reason to get out
of your cabin in the middle of winter?

Join a large and friendly group of
Challenger owners and fans at the
16th Annual Challenger Owners Association Skiplane Fly-in!

to encourage
every experienced
Challenger owner
to share their wisdom
with the newcomers
in our midst.

When I started flying,
I thought I only had to
learn about my plane,
so it would take me
safely through the sky.

But as I flew,
I realized I had to
know the sky itself.
I learned to love the sky.
You can see it in my eyes.

For Challenger owners the runway, river, lake or field is
a gateway
to an entire world of wonders non-owners can not even imagine.

"Montebello is worth the experience for any wannabe. My first
trip there by car years ago set the path even though I didn't realize it
at the time. Wandering around on the snow covered river among a buzz of
Challengers and owners I got the sense of a real close group. Everyone
shared information willingly and was proud as punch to show you their airplane.
Oh how I longed for the day this would be me showing off my Challenger!"
-- John Woudstra, Owner.

This skiplane fly-in is a wonderful opportunity
to look at Challengers close up, exchange information, tell flying tales
and socialize with fellow owners and enthusiasts. There'll be great food,
warm fires and a plethora of activities, including dog sledding and swimming
(outdoors and indoors respectively).

Make your hotel and banquet reservations
NOW to avoid disappointment!
Contact the hotel directly for your room and contact Major Claude Roy directly
for your seats at the banquet. Contact info for both appears further on
below.

Full details appear below - scroll
through it all or click the headings to go direct.

The organizer of this event is Major
Claude Roy, the director of the Canadian Challenger Owners Association.
Claude would be pleased to answer your questions or offer assistance. His
contact info is at the end below.

The Chateau Montebello is the world's largest and most spectacular
log cabin. Built
in 1930 from 10,000 red cedar logs, the star-shaped structure was constructed
in a mere three months by 800 log crafters armed only with axes and scribers.
Three crews worked 24 hours a day in overlapping shifts! Their efforts
seem to have paid off - Chateau Montebello is known around the globe and
has hosted meetings of world leaders, including the 1981 G-7.

Now, every conceivable form of outdoor winter activity is offered,
including dog sledding! For less hardy souls, there is an indoor Olympic-size
pool and spa. The food is gourmet, the rooms luxurious and the ambiance
magnifique.

Jeans are quite acceptable throughout the hotel during the whole
weekend.

The Challenger Owners Association is always fortunate to be honoured
by the attendance of distinguished guests at its events. Past dignitaries
include (in alphabetical order, by first name since this is an informal
gathering):

The fly-in begins officially on Saturday morning. Local flyers and
drivers start arriving around 9 or 10 and by lunch time most are there.
The long distance folks often arrive on Friday or even Thursday. Lucky
them! Why not come Friday yourself and join us for laughter and libations
in the lobby?

Before and after the Saturday sessions people congregate on the ice
in front of the Chateau to chat and look over the Challengers with an eye
to casting their ballot for "Best Showplane". Other popular spots
to gather include the scrumptious buffet lunch as well as the magnificent
fireplace in the lobby.

In 2006 the Rendezvous will feature three "formal" Saturday
sessions.

At 11:30, in the Quebec Room, Bryan Quickmire of National Ultralight,
Challenger distributor for Canada, and Bill Dawes, Challenger dealer for
Eastern Ontario, will hold an information session on what's new with the
Challenger. Topics covered will include the gross weight increase, the
Rotax 582 and Canadian packaging/pricing. Refreshments will be served.

At 14:00 hrs in the Quebec Room, there will be a slide presentation
by Dale Erhart of Comox, BC, on the pleasures of building and flying his
Challenger, as well as the lessons learned. Dale is an airline pilot, retired
fighter pilot and extremely enthusiastic Challenger owner - this session
will be useful and fun!

At 15:30 hrs, after refreshments, Arlo Speer and Sylvie Perreault
from Transport Canada will fill us in on the latest on the regulatory front,
including the new Dec. 1, 2005 Passenger Carrying Endorsement for the Ultralight
Pilot Permit.

As well Frank Hofmann, Secretary to the Board and Quebec Director
of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), will be giving us
his thoughts on the latest trends in aviation worldwide. Guaranteed to
be thought provoking!

Louis Pouliot of Aviation Récréative du Québec
("Challenger Quebec") will be manning the Challenger booth answering
questions. Jean-Claude Lachance and Pauline Labrecque will be present with
Turbulence Aviation's travelling supermarket of Challenger aftermarket
items. Greg and Karen Kett will be there with their "Kettware"
- Challenger logo clothing and accessories.

After the afternoon sessions there will be ample time before the
banquet for mingling and beverages in comfy chairs around the fireplace
in the lobby.

Saturday evening the banquet will be held in a private dining room
so we can talk Challenger talk and walk the Challenger walk. Dress is informal
- wear jeans if you wish. Attendance last year was our best ever as a record
of two hundred people enjoyed a superb meal and excellent company. Awards
will be presented and future Challenger events such as the annual summer
Float Tour will be discussed. More on these topics below!

The post-banquet presentation will be a slide show by Vinet Award
winners Gord Ekstrom of Woodlawn, ON and Claude Roy of Carp, ON about their
summer 2005 float flying expedition to Lake Superior.

On Sunday after partaking of the Chateau's top notch buffet breakfast
there will be much hustle and bustle as the flyers prepare their Challengers
for the return home. For the more local participants there will be an optional
group fly/drive to the renowned Willow Inn near Montreal to partake of
their excellent fare. Come if your figure dares!

The Saturday night banquet is the venue for presentation of The Maurice
Vinet Memorial Award and the awards for "Farthest Flown" and
"Best Showplane".

The 2005 awards ceremony started with recognition of the 36 Challenger
owners who flew in to the event. Then there was the presentation of the
Challenger Owners Association trophies to convey accolades to especially
worthy owners from their peers. The winner of the "Farthest Flown"
Award was Jim Donnelly for his flight to Montebello from London, Ontario.
The father and son team of Pierre and Dany Brisson won the 2005 "Best
Showplane" Award with their beautifully rendered 2004 Challenger II
C-IPJB.

The Maurice Vinet Memorial Award was founded by National Ultralight
Inc in 2001 to honour the late Maurice Vinet who passed away from cancer
in 2000. Maurice's company Puddlejumper Floats opened up new realms of
pleasure for Challenger owners worldwide and is now run by his son Patrick.
This award honours a Challenger pilot who exemplifies Maurice's passion
for flight.

(Click the plaques above to enlarge and read
the inscriptions.)

The 2005 Vinet Award was given to Harold Young of St. John's, Newfoundland.
Harold built his Challenger over the course of a single winter and produced
a fine aircraft that is truly a work of art - all this in spite of the
demands of his successful marine electronics business. He has become a
focal point for Challenger owners in Newfoundland, providing support and
encouragement for the growing flock. Harold and his Challenger are somewhat
unique in that neither has ever flown off land! A non-pilot, Harold learned
to fly on floats and although his Challenger is on amphibious floats the
wheels are only used to drive between water's edge and his tiedown spot
up by the treeline. Harold's Challenger II C-IYNG appears in our Challenger
Gallery - click here to view.

In 2005 a Special Vinet Award was presented to Bruce Brown of St.
Lazare, QC.
As a full time Challenger professional Bruce has accumulated a vast repository
of knowledge and experience on all aspects of the aircraft - from building
to flying to maintaining - and he is exceptionally generous in sharing
this expertise with the Challenger community. Bruce is a cornerstone of
the Challenger SOC Inspection safety initiative and has travelled all over
Canada spreading safety far and wide. Bruce recently flew a Challenger
from Montreal to Edmonton with Larry Whittaker - read about the trip in
Seven League Boots.

The 2004 Vinet Award went to Doug and Denise Gagnon of Nanoose Bay,
BC. Doug has 28,000 hours of air force and airline time and is presently
a Boeing 777 captain. Denise has 28 hours and is working on her Ultralight
Pilot Permit! In September 2003 the Gagnon's flew their Challenger from
Barrie, Ontario (near Toronto) to Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island -
4,000 km! See Seven League Boots
for a brief account of their voyage. The Gagnon's Challenger II C-IDDG
appears in our Challenger Gallery - click here
to view.

(Click the plaques above to enlarge and read
the inscriptions.)

The 2003 Maurice Vinet Award was presented to Dr. Tom Reavell who
says he looks to the future with enthusiasm and excitement for the wonderful
experiences which await him, the sights that are now beyond his imagination,
and the people he will have the opportunity to meet simply because he flies.
We'll second that emotion!

The 2002 award went to Gord Ekstrom who demonstrates a passion for
Challenger flying, building and socializing that sets an example for us
all. Gord's exquisite craftsmanship has to be seen to be believed - his
Challenger has a special mount for his fly fishing rod! Gord's Challenger
appeared on the cover of the March
2004 COPA Flight.

The inaugural 2001 award was presented by Maurice's sons Patrick
and Andre to the very deserving Major Claude Roy. Claude founded the Canadian
Challenger Owners Association over a decade ago and has shepherded it to
become the most active and respected in recreational aviation. Claude has
logged countless miles in his Challenger on floats and skis, including
a flight from Ottawa to James Bay - in the middle of winter!

You may recall that in 1999 an intrepid group of voyageurs made an
eight day, 2,000 km trip in their amphibious Challengers. (See Float
Flying Adventure.)

That was the first of what has turned out to be the Annual Challenger Float
Tour. Since then Challengers have explored the majestic fjords of the Saguenay
Region, the granite rocks of Georgian Bay and the miles long sand beaches
of Lake Huron.

The 2005 voyage was to the north shore of the world's largest inland
sea - Lake Superior! Join us at Chateau Montebello to enjoy the slides
and tales! The 2006 tour will be August 5-19 and the adventurers will visit
such exotic spots in Northern Quebec as St-Bruno-de Guigues, Rouyn, Val
d'Or, Senneterre, Clova, Parent, Wetomaci, La Tuque, Lac-à-Jim and
Canadian Forces Base Bagotville. Prereqs to join are an amphib Challenger
and one full year of float experience.

Here are some snippets from past tours:

In August 2000 a group of Challengers became the first Canadian ultralights
to attend Oshkosh with its 10,000+ aircraft and nearly 1 million people!
This marked the opening of the United States border to Canadian ultralight
aircraft and pilots. In a historic role, the Canadian Challenger Owners
Association spearheaded the regulatory changes to permit such cross-border
flights. Accolades were received from the EAA and COPA as well as from
the FAA and Transport Canada!

The 5th annual floatplane adventure took place in 2003, the 100th
anniversary of the first heavier-than-air flight by the Wright Brothers.
On this momentous occasion, Major Roy organized a two-week float flying
adventure to visit the birthplace of aviation, the sand dunes of Kill Devil
Hills, North Carolina, on the U.S. Atlantic Coast. Claude along with Tom
Reavell and Henry McKinlay made the pilgrimage, tagged "Centennial
Flight 2003", crossing the States of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Virginia and North Carolina. On the way back, the States of Delaware and
New Jersey were also visited.

In August 2004 another float flying adventure happened, this one to Quebec's
St-Lawrence North Shore as far as Natashquan. Claude Roy, Andre Girard
and Tom Reavell visited enchanting places like Charlevoix, Baie-Comeau,
Sept-Iles, the Mingan Archipelago and one of the world's most exclusive
deer preserve: Anticosti Island.

Again this year, groups of owners of ski-equipped Challengers are
planning to fly in formation to the Challenger meet, adjusting their itineraries
to allow other Challengers to join up en route. We would like to extend
an invitation to other Challenger owners to join them and participate in
an aerial odyssey.

Join
a flock, come solo or, better still, organize a formation from your local
area! The aerial odyssey is a wonderful opportunity to put some lasting
memories in your logbook. Earmark a few days of your vacation backlog and
come along! Of course flight plans are subject to weather so leave slack
in your schedule!

This is true adventure - a great start to your plan to expand the
horizon!

For more information or to join up with a group or form one yourself
contact Major Roy at the email address or phone number given at the end
of this page.

Those
fortunate enough to be owners coming by Challenger will find the flight
easy and beautiful. As the GPS flies, the Chateau is at N45 39 / W74 57.
This is just west of the village of Montebello, Quebec, on the north shore
of the Ottawa River, an endless runway for Challengers on skis. Secure
tie-downs will be located in the protected harbour in front of the hotel.
Auto gas will be available.

Monitor radio frequencies 122.75 enroute and 123.2 within 5 nm of
the Chateau Montebello.

If you're coming by car (quel dommage!), Montebello is 80 km from
Ottawa: cross to Hull and go east on 148. From Montreal it's 120 km: take
the Trans Canada west to Hawkesbury, cross the bridge to Quebec and go
west on 148. The Chateau is on the south side of 148, just west of the
village of Montebello.

You must reserve your room directly with the
hotel (see below) and your seat(s) at the banquet directly with Major Claude
Roy (see below and Contacts).

The
Chateau Montebello has set aside a block of
95 rooms for this event, many with two double beds. The special rate is
$170 per room per night, a real bargain considering the stature of the
hotel and the level of luxury. To reserve your room call the reservation
line at 1-800-441-1414 or contact the hotel directly at 819-423-6341. Make
sure you specify you are part of the Challenger group.

Ours is a VERY popular event so the Chateau
does tend to get fully booked VERY quickly. If you call and that is the
case then there are a number of quite charming alternatives in the picturesque
village of Montebello nearby. At the 2004 Rendezvous and again in 2005
there were over 200 attendees so inevitably many stayed in the village
and all were more than pleased with their accommodations. Click the underlined
name of each establishment below for pictures, rates, etc!

If you are silly enough to procrastinate even longer and even those
alternatives are sold out then contact Major Roy for assistance. His email
and phone info appears at the end of this page. Do this soon or bring a
tent and sleeping bag!

At the Saturday evening banquet a sumptuous hot-cold buffet will
be served and bar facilities will be available. The price is $50.00 per
adult and $25.00 per child (under 12), including tax and tip.

By Monday January 23rd the hotel needs to know the exact number of
people who will be attending. Accordingly, by Friday
January 20th Major Roy requires confirmation of your presence at the banquet.
His email, phone and mailing address are under
Contacts. Your confirmation must include
a personal cheque sent to him and dated January 20, 2005 at the latest.
The amount of your cheque should cover the full amount of your reserved
seat(s). If there is any doubt about your cheque
arriving by the 20th let Claude know by email or phone.

If for any reason somebody does not show up for the banquet, Major
Roy will do his utmost to sell their seat(s) at the door. So far, last-minute
takers for the empty seats have always been found and nobody has lost their
deposit.

Another warning for procrastinators: the banquet has a maximum capacity
of 200 people for food service - if it fills up (and it did in 2004 and
2005) then you will have to dine in the Chateau's main restaurant (not
the worst fate imaginable!) and then rejoin the group around 9 pm for the
official program.

Canadian members of the Challenger Owners Association receive an
annual letter reviewing happenings in the Canadian Challenger community
and giving details of plans for the coming year. Click here,
en français ici,
for this year's.